Should I shave my cat?

I have a long haired cat and I live in an apartment that doesn't have air conditioning and we are in the middle of a heat wave. I have done some research and some people say that giving my cat the lion cut would be good and keep him cool while others say that as long as his hair is brushed it will still insulate him against the heat and keep him cool.

I just wanted to get some other opinions and find out what do other people do.

Thanks!

Well that is too your own opinion. I had a long haired cat and never shaved her but I did maintain her such as regular baths and brushing and she was just fine. But my mom on the other hand had also a long haired female that she shaved as soon as the heat would be overwhelming but the problem with shaving cats are these ... First off get ready because they don't like it much, could be the noise or the vibrations i don't know, so get ready for a few scratches. Second if you do it once they will get somewhat used to it so you will have too continue doing it and third, if your little cat/kitten goes outside don't forget to apply some pet friendly sunblock

To me it seems reasonable that less hair in an indoor cat means a 'cooler' cat.

It's been my experience as well that shaving freaks some cats out so make sure you go to a very experienced groomer. :2cents:

I used to own a Puli they have a very thick dense coat and I worried about heat as well. When I spoke to my vet and groomer they both said her coat actually keeps them cooler.

I cut my himalayan's fur down to about 1 inch, leaving the tail, back and head alone in the summer and she loves it.

I used to own a Puli they have a very thick dense coat and I worried about heat as well. When I spoke to my vet and groomer they both said her coat actually keeps them cooler.

I strongly agree. Any pets that you shave , will loose his / her protection from the heat and can get heat stroke.

I strongly agree. Any pets that you shave , will loose his / her protection from the heat and can get heat stroke.

Yes when we are talking about cats or dogs outside in the blistering sun/heat.

But we are talking about an indoor cat. (I believe).
Surely an indoor cat will be cooler with less fur.

Does anyone disagree with this? Now ya got me curious.

thx - marko

Yes when we are talking about cats or dogs outside in the blistering sun/heat.

But we are talking about an indoor cat. (I believe).
Surely an indoor cat will be cooler with less fur.

Does anyone disagree with this? Now ya got me curious.

thx - marko

IMO , even with indoor pets. :shrug:

My cat is always indoors, can he still be burned if he lies by a window where the sun comes in?

My cat is always indoors, can he still be burned if he lies by a window where the sun comes in?

Yes, if your windows are just regular glass, (as most are). Regular glass will not block UVA rays.

If you have a reflective coating on your windows, about 75% of the UVA radiation should be blocked.

Alright thanks so much for all the information! I really appreciate it!

I shave down both my persians and they are much more comfortable. You can see the difference in both of them as they are much happier and active.

I shave down both my persians and they are much more comfortable. You can see the difference in both of them as they are much happier and active.

Yes but BM , you have AC .... let's say you didn't have it , and your place would get hot in the day time , your cats wouldn't have protection against the heat.

Thinking that pets with more fur than others get more "hot" in the summer is false. I have proof here with Churchill , he tolerates the heat much better than my goldens used too. As long as he's well brushed. :shrug:

The trick with shaving a cat is doing it in the spring when they start shedding. That way you avoid the mess of shedding season and by the time the summer heat arrives some, but not all, of the coat has regrown so that you avoid the heatstroke and sunburn issues. (Check my photo gallery, you will see what I mean when you look at Crush's pictures.)

The other thing to check out is the groomer. A good groomer will only do a cat first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening when there are no other animals on the premises, it's much easier on the cat that way. And, it takes two to shave a cat (unless it's been trained from kittenhood to be shaved) because it's faster and less stressful if (s)he's stretched out.

Yes but BM , you have AC .... let's say you didn't have it , and your place would get hot in the day time , your cats wouldn't have protection against the heat.

Thinking that pets with more fur than others get more "hot" in the summer is false. I have proof here with Churchill , he tolerates the heat much better than my goldens used too. As long as he's well brushed. :shrug:

I am not so sure if this theory is applicable to cats. Would be nice to know the answer to this one.:shrug:

I am not so sure if this theory is applicable to cats. Would be nice to know the answer to this one.:shrug:

Been on google trying to find something about that but all I can find is chat rooms where some people think it's cruel to shave cats (because they look naked) of course , if shaving a cat does make him/her more comfy , I say who cares how they look :shrug:

going back to google trying to find answers ...

So far I found this : http://www.felinexpress.com/cat-care/hot-weather.asp

"If the temperature inside your home reaches 90 degrees, kitty will start panting. This is her first attempt to maintain her body temperature. She will also start to over-groom herself in an attempt to lower her body temperature. Once the saliva dries on her fur, she will begin to cool down."

Keep in mind that cats normal temp varies betwee 100F (37.7C) and 103F (39.4), so we're likely to feel the heat more than they do. Most cats tolerate heat fairly well, and seek out cool tile or hardwood floors to lie on if they're feeling too warm. I wouldn't shave a cat unless it was panting with open mouth in the heat. You can also cool it down by wetting down it's tummy, head and ears if it looks like the heat is bothering it.

I shave Piper, and he just lays there and lets me do it. I shaved his stomache when he was sleeping on his back. I just have one chilled out cat..LOL But he never goes outside and he likes it cooler. On the plus side..when he is shaved, I never have to clean up hairballs the size of a kitten..:yuck:

Haven't posted here in a while, but... my cat needs a shave. I've tried to keep up with the mats, but failed due to vacation and hectic work schedule.

My cat is very docile. When he doesn't like what you are doing to him, his form of defiance is best described as non-violent resistance.:laughing: He will lay there like a log and not move. Thus shaving becomes much, much easier.

But even still, I'd rather have a pro do it. Any recommendations in the Etobicoke/West Toronto area? Google searches only pop up three near me. One has a really poor reputation and the other two won't shave cats.